


Unsteady

by thepoeticflower



Series: It All Started With a Fake Date [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Human, Evil Ex!Raj, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, fake dating au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 04:13:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12100473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepoeticflower/pseuds/thepoeticflower
Summary: Another fake dating au! Alec is alone at a bar, waiting for Jace, when his ex walks in. Who will be there for Alec when Raj finally spots him?





	Unsteady

Alec tapped his fingers anxiously against the counter of the bar, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Since his terrible breakup from his ex, any type of social scene wasn’t his idea of a good time. Not that he ever had been particularly fond of bars; he hated them. But his best friend, Jace, thought it was his honorable duty to take Alec out and try to be his wingman. Of course, Jace was running over fifteen minutes late and not responding to his text messages. (Realistically, every time Jace attempted to be his wingman, he wound up failing and hooking up with some girl within the first thirty minutes, leaving Alec to his own devices.) 

Taking a long swig of his beer, he picked up his phone and dialed Jace’s number when he saw another woman approaching him. No less than five had come over since he walked in, shamelessly flirting with him. The polite part of him offered them an uneasy smile as he declined their invites, saying he was waiting for someone. The cheeky part of him wanted to roll his eyes and have a stack of business cards that said, “I’m gay. Leave me alone.” 

As the phone rang in his ear, he happened to glance over at the door. His eyes grew comically wide, but what he saw was anything but funny. His ex, Raj, walked in with his new boyfriend. He ducked to the back of the bar, by the billiards tables. 

Jace finally answered the phone in a huff, “You are so impatient!” 

“You’re like twenty minutes late. And that’s not even the worst part. Raj just walked in with his new boyfriend and damnit, Jace, I’m not prepared to face him alone. Not after all of the terrible things he said.” Alec slumped down against a wall, hand running through his hair as the anxiety started taking hold. 

There couldn’t have been a worse first boyfriend in the world than Raj. He lured Alec in with his charm, with compliments that would bring a pink tinge to Alec’s cheeks. Raj made him feel good about himself in the beginning. Only in the beginning. Once he had planted his roots, the warmth ended there. Raj constantly accused Alec of cheating and tore down the little bit of self-confidence Alec had. The behavior was always followed by excuses and apologies, but Alec came out a little smaller and uncertain each and every time. Six months ago, during a particularly vicious fight, Alec finally snapped and ended everything. Raj naturally administered some fatal blows to whatever shred of self-worth Alec had left. 

“Can’t you just leave?”  


Alec looked up and found the pair sitting near the door. There would be _no way_  to escape without that bastard spotting him. “They’re right by the door. He’d spot me. And he’d probably say something.”

“And then that’s your opportunity to tell his new boyfriend what an asshole he’s with and how he should get out while he still can.” By tone alone, Alec could tell Jace was seething.  


“I- you know, I wouldn’t be able to do that. Even seeing him is making me seize up. And you know he’s just going to look at me smugly because he has someone else and I don’t.” Part of him still believed all of the hateful words that Raj spewed out during their relationship. Coming to terms with being gay was hard enough; it had taken many awkward years for his parents to finally come around to the reality. Any progress he had made toward feeling comfortable in his own skin had been destroyed. Maybe he was unlovable and maybe he was meant to be alone and maybe he was just too weird.   


“Just…” Jace sighed heavily on the other side of the phone. “Just hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can be. I got… held up.”  


“Great, while you’re supposed to be here to offer me moral support, you’re having sex.”  


"I'm sorry that I'm irresistible to all of the women in New York, buddy." 

"All except for that one bartender who works here, who threw those shots in your face." 

Jace made a wounded noise, "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again." 

"We did, but I'm currently alone in this crowded bar with public enemy number one sitting by the entrance, so, I'll break any agreements we've had to make you bring your ass here now. Some _wingman_ you are." 

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Jace hung up and Alec tried to remain as small as possible by the billiards, drinking his beer a little bit faster now from sheer panic. When the effects of what was his second beer started to take hold a little, the worst thing happened. Raj spotted him from the bar as he seemed to be ordering another drink. 

"Fuck. This can't be happening." He muttered to himself as he went stiffer than a board when he saw his ex walking his way. That's when he felt a hand on his back and a mouth come close to his ear. 

"Pardon my intrusion, but I may have overheard your phone conversation and guessing from your reaction to the asshole with the evil glint in his eyes coming this way, I'm assuming that's your ex. Play along and he'll leave you alone. I promise." 

Alec turned and looked at the man and his breath hitched ever so slightly. He had seen him around before, which was astonishing due to the size of New York City as a whole, but Alec would never forget that face. Alec nodded dumbly, agreeing to go along with whatever the gorgeous man said, if it meant getting Raj far away from him. 

"Alec, it's been a while." 

Alec found solace in the hand still on his back, the warmth of the stranger beside him. "Not nearly long enough." 

"Don't be like that. And this is...?" Raj's eyes drifted to the man standing beside him. Alec's mouth opened to answer, but the man was much faster. Which came as a relief, because Alec had no idea what he'd actually say, as he didn't even know his name. 

"I'm Magnus Bane, his new boyfriend." Magnus slid his hand from Alec's upper back and wrapped his arm around him, hand resting on his hip. "And I do believe that if you'd like to avoid a rather public altercation, you'll go back to your date and leave Alec alone." 

Raj's eyes narrowed, "I see you still have a knack for telling stories, Alec." 

Magnus let go of Alec and took a step closer to Raj, an evil smile on his face. "A knack for telling stories? No one would make up stories like that. And only an abuser would act as if he did. Now, I'll suggest again that you go back to your date and leave my boyfriend alone. If I have to suggest for a third time, things will not end favorably for you. And yes, it is a threat before you even ask. Not only will your date hear all about how you treated Alec during your time together, I might not be able to hold myself back from punching you in your smug face." 

Alec couldn't see Magnus's face from where he was standing, but he assumed it was now set in a heavy and dark glare from the way Raj squirmed. He retreated without another word, going back over to where his date was and they left only moments later. 

Magnus turned around once the pair left the bar and smiled at Alec. 

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that in the slightest and you did." 

"We've all had those relationships. I know I have. No one should have to face someone that hurt them alone." 

Alec frowned. The thought of someone hurting Magnus, this wonderful man who came to his rescue, was absurd. "How can I ever repay you?" 

"Let's start with a drink. And we'll take it from there, hmm? It might be good to know more about you than your name, the fact that you have evil asshole of an ex named Raj, and your wingman failed to show up." Alec's cheeks flushed up a bit at the grin on Magnus's face. 

"Okay. What's your drink?" 

"A double martini." 

Alec nodded and went over to the bar and ordered himself another beer and the martini for Magnus. As he waited, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted Jace, _'Don't bother coming. Some guy stepped in and helped get rid of Raj. And now, we're having drinks. No wingman, necessary.'_

The responding text was filled with emojis, both celebratory and suggestive. Alec rolled his eyes and pocketed his phone when the drinks were placed in front of him. He wasn't sure where this was going to go with Magnus. But as he smiled at Alec again as he came back with the drinks, he knew he didn't mind sticking around to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://asexualalexanderlightwood.tumblr.com). It's possible for a sequel or a series following Malec after this fake dating shenanigan. We'll see.


End file.
